Quiche Lorraine

1 unbaked prepared pie crust
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
pinch of love

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Pour into pie shell.
Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes.

Wrapping Gifts With Love

A few years ago I started making fabric gift bags for Christmas. I look forward to finding new Holiday fabric and ribbons to add to a nice collection of finished bags. But what I love most is watching my family open presents on Christmas morning!   Did I mention how easy it is to clean up? Just fold and put away until next year!

1 yard of fabric

Cut into rectangles. I cut into 4 different sizes.
Or cut it down the middle for 2
or make an extra large bag using the entire yard

Sew the 2 sides and bottom

Fold and hem the top opening

Match a wire ribbon

Many designs and different sizes

Pretty Ribbons

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Snow Trail Mix

I've been looking forward to making this recipe since I tried it for the first time at our Ellet Craft Show but they called it "White Trash"! When I checked Pinterest I found that's what everyone called it. You can call it whatever you want but I call it delicious! And it's a great way to use the left over cereals in Chex mix!

3 cups corn Chex cereal
3 cups rice Chex cereal
3 1/2 cups Cheerios cereal
2 1/2 cups mixed nuts
1 (12 oz) bag M & M's
1 package pretzel Goldfish
dash of cinnamon
3 (12oz) packages white chocolate chips
or 2 lbs white bark chocolate
Pinch of Love

In a large bowl toss together cereals, nuts, M & M's, pretzels and a few dashes of cinnamon.

Melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl 15 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until creamy.

Drizzle the melted white chocolate over mixture. Toss gently until well coated. Pour mixture on 2 cookie sheets, spread into single layer. Allow chocolate to set up. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

I found Ginger Evans
White Bark at Save A Lot

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

A very beautiful and delicious holiday cookie!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
dash of love

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla and egg, mixing well.
4. Sift together the flour and baking soda.
5. Spoon the flour mixture gradually into the creamed sugar mixture.
6. Stir in the cherries, white chocolate chips and pecans.
7. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
8. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 - 15 minutes until golden on top.
9. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to rack.

Dad's Apple Butter

Christmas Cookie Time

Print your ingredients list 

I'm looking forward to organizing my kitchen to start making Christmas Cookies! This ingredient form helps me figure out how much I'll need to purchase after I check my cupboards. 

We usually make the same traditional cookies but try to add something new each year. I've been looking for a chocolate cookie recipe for Tommy and will be trying the Double Chocolate Almond Cookie from the Food Network. I'll replace the almonds with mini mint chips, something he's been asking for.

Check out these recipes!
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Spritz
Russian Teacakes
Rugelach
Toffy
Fantasy Fudge
Coconut Dream Bars
Pecan Pie Bars

Here is the ingredient list for you to download and print. Let me know what you are making this year! 

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

Hugs,
Christie

Make Your Own Spice Mixes

As a breast cancer survivor I'm more careful about what I eat and serve my family. I try to avoid using processed foods and make most meals from scratch. After noticing the ingredient in most of the bottles of mixed seasonings I thought it would be both fun and healthy to make my own mixes.

After I decided on three mixes, I used a recipe quantity calculator to convert the measurements. Then I checked my spices and made a shopping list.

All Season Mix

Use on baked chicken or Oven Potatoes.

4 TSP garlic powder
4 TBSP onion powder
2 TBSP paprika
6 TBSP Italian Seasoning (See recipe below)
1 TBSP pepper
3 TBSP salt
Mix well and store in pint jar, secure with tight lid

Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup + 2 TBSP Dried basil
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP Dried oregano
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP Dried rosemary
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP Dried marjoram
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP Dried thyme
Mix well and store in pint jar, secure with tight lid

Chicken Fajitas

1/4 cup + 2 TBSP + 2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup + 1 TBSP cumin
1 TBSP + 2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP + 2 tsp onion powder
1 TBSP + 2 tsp paprika powder
1 TBSP + 2 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
Use 3-4 tablespoons in place of all seasonings in Oven Chicken Fajita recipe

Creamy Parmesan Chicken Penne

This dish is now a family favorite! We've discovered that baking chicken for 20-25 minutes is more
tender than pan frying.

2 TBSP All Season  (see mix recipe below)
1 cans diced Italian seasoned tomatoes
2 TBSP dried tomatoes
1 to 1-1/2 lbs chicken breasts or tenders
8 ounces Penne pasta
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half & half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP butter

Cut chicken into 1 x 2 inch stripes. Place in a glass baking dish. Splash with Olive Oil, then add 2 TBSP of All Season mix and diced tomatoes. Toss until well coated. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Stir after 15 minutes so chicken cooks evenly.

Cook 8 ounces of penne in water according to package directions. Drain.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

A nice switch from the original cheese ball. This is great with graham crackers.

1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
 Optional: 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Mix in powdered sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
3. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
5. Optional: Shape chilled mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic and chill for another hour.
6. Roll cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving.

Betty's Pumpkin Bread

Isn't my oven pretty?

My husband kept asking why I hadn't baked anything in our new wall oven. I explained that I didn't want to get it dirty! But I had promised a friend that I would make Pumpkin Bread in honor of his mother, Betty Lyon, so it was time to try the new oven.

Mike, I tweaked your mom's recipe because I wanted to use the whole can of pumpkin instead of 1 cup. I also added some clove, ginger and a pinch of love! It was outstanding and the recipe will now go in our family collection! Next time you're in town I will make this for you!

Hugs,
Christie

3 cups flour
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 tsp ginger
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
one 14-15 ounce can pumpkin (solid pack)
1 cup chopped walnuts
pinch of love

Combine all dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil, water and pumpkin, mix well. Add walnuts and love.
Grease and flour 2 medium bread pans. Bake  at 350 for at least 1 hour. Check center with toothpick; if it's not done then continue baking for 5 or 10 more minutes.
Cool pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans and continue cooling on racks.

Spinach Dip

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach
1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
16 oz sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Thaw spinach and squeeze excess water.
Stir together soup mix, sour cream, mayonnaise until blended.
Add spinach, green onions and water chestnuts.
Cover; chill 2 hours. Stir before serving.

Pasta Primavera

1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup onion, cut in wedges
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
olive oil
Italian Seasoning (make your own)
1 lb cooked pasta, your choice
Parmesan cheese
dash of love

Optional: shrimp, heated in skilled with butter and garlic or chicken tenders baked with the veggies.

Place all vegetables on baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and Italian seasoning, toss together until covered. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until tender. Serve over pasta. Add Parmesan cheese.

Debbie's Recipes

Thanksgiving Dinner

As I was putting together our Thanksgiving menu I came across last years list and made a decision to simplify as much as I could. I was prepared to make fresh pies then resorted to baking frozen pies. But after tasting a pie at the staff Thanksgiving meal I bolted to Sam's Club after school and bought four pies from the bakery! I felt a huge weight lifted knowing I didn't have to bake that night.

Appetizers
Cream Cheese dip
Mixed nuts

Meal
Mashed Potatoes - instant instead of peeling fresh
Candied yams
corn - our frozen summer corn
Green Bean Casserole
Deviled eggs
Turkey
Stuffing
Rolls - bought frozen instead making from scratch
Gravy - canned turkey gravy from GFS
Noodles
Cranberry sauce - canned instead of making a salad

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Printed from COOKS.COM
Approximately 3 lb. apples
3 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
Dash of salt
3/4 cup water or fresh apple cider
Fill Crock-pot 3/4 full with peeled, cored and sliced apples. Add the
remaining ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Cover and cook on
low setting overnight or until the butter is of a thick, spreadable
consistency.
If apple butter has too much liquid, remove lid and cook on high until
thickened. Stir often as butter thickens to prevent scorching.
Store in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Freeze for longer storage.
Variation: For a less sweet apple butter, substitute 1 cup honey for the
sugar.
To can the apple butter, pack into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace
and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes

Amazing Instant Mashed Potatoes

© Zigzagmtart | Dreamstime.com - 
Mashed Potatoes With Butter And Parsley Photo

This summer I attended a dinner and had the most delicious mashed potatoes. I asked how they were made and to my surprise it was instant! However, they also added garlic powder, parsley and chicken broth! Ah-ha!  I discovered a similar recipe on Pinterest, so that's were I started. I bumped the recipe up by one quarter. You've just got to try these next time!

Serves 4-6

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 cups potato flakes
4 TBSP butter
Pinch of dried parsley
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of love

Heat the chicken broth, whipping cream and butter in a sauce pan. Do NOT bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add potato flakes, stirring constantly until smooth. Add all seasonings. Stir until well blended. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. You can add to the amount of seasonings but you really should use all 4. This has no chicken, garlic or onion taste. Just an amazing flavor. Enjoy!

Jan's Soft Cookies

Roger's Recipes

My father has a notebook with handwritten recipes he's collected over the years. Many of then are from his "Mama". Here are some of the pages I copied.

Gramsy's Recipes

Cornbread

Barbara's Rhubarb Dessert

Midge Miley's Recipes

Katie's Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes

1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar
2 ounces chocolate Hershey bar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup + 1 TBSP canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp half
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup water

1. Preheat over 350
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix butter and sugar until fully combines and looks like wet sand.
3. Melt the Hershey Bar in microwave or double boiler, cool.
4. Add cooled chocolate to butter sugar mixture.
5. Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until just combined.
6. Mix in oil, vanilla and sour cream until just combined
7. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a separate medium-sized bowl. Combine well with a fork or whisk.
8. Add dry ingredients to wet in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
9. Mix in water until just combined.
10. Fill 16 cupcake liners 2/3 full.
11. Bake 18 minutes - a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. If they are not done, check again every three minutes until done.
12. Immediately remove cupcakes from the tin and place on a cooking rack or on the counter to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2-4 TBSP heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Mix butter and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in powdered sugar until combined. Add flour, then cream, vanilla mixing until combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips. 

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